THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l saturday l November 09, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Champions Trophy: BCCI says no to Pak travel, PCB not amused With less than three months to go for the ICC event, the relationship between two subcontinental countries could affect the venue for the event India proposes hybrid model again PCB chief not for any hybrid model Right from the beginning, the BCCI had maintained that the Indian government will take a call on whether the team would travel to Pakistan or not. On Friday, the BCCI reportedly claimed that they had intimated PCB about not travelling and had proposed a hybrid format like the Asia Cup where India played all their games in SL. This time India might opt for UAE ■ ■ Hours after reports emerged, PCB chairperson Mohsin Naqvi  categorically denied receiving any formal communication from the BCCI “Till today, no one has discussed any ‘Hybrid Model’ nor are we willing  to talk about it. But we have been showing good gestures for the last few years. No one should expect us to do it all the time,” Naqvi said 2008 The last time India travelled to Pakistan for cricket CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Putin says India deserves status of Superpower Cites fastest growing economy, population, culture to make his point Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi India is a great country, now the largest in terms of population: 1.5 billion people, plus 10 million every year Vladimir Putin On India-China Putin acknowledged difficulties on the border between India and China but said wise and competent people who keep the future of their nations in mind, are searching for compromises and will eventually find them ON Brahmos “In fact, we made it (BrahMos) fit for use in three environments — in air, in sea and on land. These projects, conducted for the benefit of India’s security, are ongoing,” he said Russian President Vladimir Putin sprang a pleasant surprise by saying India deserves to be included in the list of global superpowers. Putin is among India’s closest allies, but seeking to add the country to the exclusive superpower club was a welcome gesture, particularly when even netas of the ruling alliance in the country have not sought to give it that spin. India’s articulated ambitions at present are to jump from the fifth largest economy in the world to the fourth and third positions, and to get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. “India should undoubtedly be added to the list of superpowers, with its billion-and-ahalf population, the fastest growth among all economies in the world, ancient culture and very good prospects for further growth,” he said while address- Vision based on today’s realities “Our vision of where and at what pace our relations will develop is based on today’s realities. The volume of our cooperation is increasing many times over, every year,” President Putin said ing the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday . Putin also called India a great country, with the largest population of 1.5 billion, and said they were developing relations with India in all directions. Both Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi share great vibes, with the former recently joking at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, “you understand me without a translator.” “President Putin has been extremely positive on India over the past few years and he has been consistently talking about two great powers - India and China, particularly as economic powerhouses. It’s in the same strain that he makes references to Prime Minister Modi. He has also been appreciative of India’s independent foreign policy former Ambas,” sador to Russia PS Raghavan told this newspaper. Putin said the volume of cooperation between Russia and India is increasing manifold. Talking about the defence cooperation between the two nations, he said, “look at how many types of Russian military equipment are in service with the Indian armed forces. There is a great degree of trust in this relationship. We don’t just sell our weapons to India, we design them jointly .” He referred to the BrahMos cruise missile and said that this was made for use in air, sea and land which has enhanced India’s security “These projects . show a high level of mutual trust and cooperation.” PM tears into Cong, says it’s trying to divide OBCs SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI @ Mumbai PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kicked off his campaign for the Maharashtra assembly polls at Dhule, tearing into the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in general and the Congress in particular. He claimed during the Congress rule, there were two constitutions — one for India and another for Jammu and Kashmir. But the BJP government implemented Dr BR Ambedkar’s constitution in Jammu and Kashmir by removing Article 370, which granted special status to the state, he added. BJP MLAs being marshalled out during a ruckus in J&K assembly on Friday | PTI “The Congress was unhappy with this decision. So, it is trying to bring back Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir with the help of its ally. However, we will never allow this to happen,” Modi said. Modi’s comments came two days after the Omar Abdullahled government Jammu and Kashmir passed a resolution seeking restoration of statehood and special status. Attacking the MVA in Maharashtra, Modi urged people not to elect ‘the corrupt’ alliance which he alleged first illegally formed a government and then looted the state. MVA is an alliance of Opposition parties in Maharashtra comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Congress. Modi alleged the Congress wants to create rift among the OBCs by making them fight among themselves. “Congress thinks only when the OBCs are weakened, will the path to power open for the grand old party,” he alleged. Modi claimed that this is a strategy followed by the Congress since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru. Maharashtra is a crucial state to win for the BJP after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Final sitting Outgoing Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud with CJI-designate Justice Sanjiv Khanna, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal and others at a farewell function on Friday | PTI 1967 verdict nixed SC lifts crucial bar that kept AMU out of the minority list S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y In a landmark verdict on his last day in office on Friday a , Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud overruled by 4:3 its 1967 position that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) can’t claim minority status because it was created by a statute. The seven-judge bench, however, left the issue of deciding AMU’s minority status to a regular bench while laying down a series of tests to make the determination. The bench should also examine the 2006 decision of the Allahabad High Court, which struck down a 1981 amendment conferring minority status on the varsity — based on the principles laid down in this judgment. While the CJI authored the majority judgment on behalf of justices Sanjiv Khanna, J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and S C Sharma wrote separate dissenting opinions. “The decision in Azeez Basha is overruled. The question on deciding the minority status of AMU must be done on the basis of the tests laid down in the present case. Papers to be placed before the CJI for constituting a bench to decide the issue and correctness of 2006 Allahabad HC judgment,” the CJI said in his verdict. In 1967, a five-judge bench in the Azeez Basha case had held that AMU was a Central university and couldn’t be considered a minority institution. In the majority 1st Indian batter to hit back-to-back centuries in T20Is Illegal transport of waste to other states continues T’Puram: The state drugs control department has filed three more misleading-advertisement cases against Divya Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Patanjali Ayurved, thereby ratcheting up pressure on Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, its promoters. P5 T’Puram: Despite repeated complaints, illegal transportation of waste from Kerala to other states continues unabated. On Monday, six Kerala-registered trucks carrying animal, plastic and biomedical waste were seized in Karnataka. P5 Sanju scored 107 runs off 50 balls, hitting 10 sixes and seven fours, in the 1st T20I between India & South Africa in Durban on Friday. Batting first, India posted 202/8 | P11 16 pages, including 4 pages of THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Express WhatsApp group’s initiative Theyyam calendar helps enthusiasts stay up to date L a k s h m i At h i r a @ Kannur It’s that time of the year in northern Malabar. As the sacred groves, known as kavus, bustle with activity in preparation for festivities, numerous WhatsApp groups are busy coordinating the theyyam calendar for the season. One such group, ‘Theyyam Calendar’, has been providing timely updates on schedules at various kavus for the past ten years. With over 3,500 members, the group has become an essential resource for tourists visiting the region to experience the theyyam ritual. Representational pic “We are celebrating a decade in the service of theyyam enthusiasts. The group was started in 2014 with just a few mem- bers. Today, we have around 3,500 members. There are many similar WhatsApp groups operating under different names. Some groups function exactly like ours. Over the past few years, our group has become the go-to guide for many who wish to visit theyyam,” said Prabakaran, founder of the Theyyam Calendar group. “From Sineka, a native of Poland, who inspired me to start the group, to Sergei, a Russian who visits Malabar every year to experience theyyam, both foreigners and locals have found the Theyyam Calendar WhatsApp group incredibly helpful. It’s worth mentioning that under the auspices of our group, we’ve been able to provide medical assistance when 1 2 3 4 Consider the genesis of the educational institution; identify who was the brain behind establishing the institution Determine the purpose for which it was established. Must predominently be for the benefit of a religious or linguistic minority Trace steps taken towards the implementation of the idea — who all funded, who made effort to obtain land, etc Who took steps for establishing institution, such as obtaining permissions, constructing buildings, and arranging other infrastructure opinion on Friday the court , held that the valid proof of ideation of a minority community to establish the institution can be determined from letters and other materials. “Indicia can be proven by private communication and speeches relating to the struggles of the minority community. It is also not necessary to prove that administration rests with the minority....The right guaranteed by Article 30(1) is applicable to universities established before the commencement of the Constitution.” Justice Datta, in his opinion said AMU was not a minority institution. He wondered how a two-judge bench could at all request that the case be placed before a bench of at least seven judges, adding another simliar bench could well doubt the ‘basic structure’ doctrine and request a 15-judge bench for adjudication. Express News Service @ New Delhi Taking cognizance of complaints of impropriety and conflict of interest filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and two others, anticorruption body Lokpal on Friday sought explanation from Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch on the matter. The complaints were made on the basis of a report by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, according to an official order which asked Buch to submit her response within four weeks. The Lokpal said its order, signed by Lokpal chairperson Justice A M Khanwilkar and five other members, is only procedural and not an expression of its opinion on any matter. “This opportunity is being afforded to the named RPS as per the mandate in the third proviso of sub section (1) of Section 20 of the Lokpal Act, before the bench would proceed to determine whether there exists a prima facie case for investigation into the allegations,” it said. The order, signed by judicial members Justices L Narayana Swamy Sanjay Yadav and Ritu , Raj Awasthi, and members Sushil Chandra and Ajay Tirkey, said Buch can file an affidavit within four weeks from the receipt of the order. The Lokpal has listed the matter on December 19 for further consideration. In a post on X on September 13, Moitra said she had filed a complaint with the Lokpal, urging it to forward it to the ED or CBI for preliminary probe followed by a “full FIR enquiry”. Sanju State’s industrial output strikes still below pre-lockdown levels, reveals report EXPRESS READ Case against Patanjali Ayurved subsidiary Determining the status @ New Delhi Lokpal seeks Sebi chief’s explanation on complaints needed and honour Narayana Peruvannan, who received the Padma Sri, in a g rand manner.” Recalling the early days, he said, “When the group began, it was challenging to get information about theyyam festivals. Members would collect posters from notice boards at kavus and even visit bus stands to hear announcements. We took photos of the notices and shared them in the group. This year, to mark our 10th anniversary we are is, suing an online calendar on a limited scale, along with a digital weekly edition called ‘Chay● More on P4 ilyam’.”  M S V i d ya n a n d a n @T’Puram Kerala’s industrial output is still below pre-lockdown levels, weighed down by a struggling manufacturing sector, a report released by the Department of Economics and Statistics has revealed. The manufacturing sector recorded a negative growth of 17.84% in 2022-23 compared to 2019-20, showed the ‘Report on Index of Industrial Production (IIP) 2015-16 to 2022-23’ released recently . According to experts, poor credit disbursement to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and high employee turnover could also be reasons for the sector’s decline. The IIP is a vital indicator of industrial performance and economic situation. The general or composite IIP is calculated on the basis of the performance of three industry groups - ‘manufacturing’, ‘mining and quar rying’, and ‘electricity’. An analysis of the report said Kerala’s composite IIP for 2022-23 was 96.94, which was 5.38% less than the IIP of 102.45 in 2019-20. While individual IIPs for ‘mining and quarrying’ and ‘electricity’ rose by 14.96% and 49.13%, respectively, in 2022-23 when compared to the pre-lockdown year, the increase couldn’t help in bumping up the composite IIP due to the drastic decline What is IIP? IIP (Index of Industrial Production) is a composite indicator that measures short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with respect to that in a chosen base period. The base period chosen by the Department of Economics and Statistics was 2011-12 Report’s observations “Signs of improvement and stabilisation are seen across industrial sectors from 2021-22. Manufacturing and mining sectors showed positive growth rates, indicating adaptive strategies and sector specific recoveries. IIP of the manufacturing sector in Kerala was in line with the national pattern in all the eight years,” said the report. It was prepared by Manoj M, additional director, and Abdul Gafoor, assistant director of the Department of Economics and Statistics. in manufacturing sector. “Kerala’s manufacturing sector is dominated by traditional industries dealing with food processing, rubber and plastic products, which contribute to 30% of the total output. These industries are labour-intensive and consist of MSMEs. The pandemic had a disproportionate impact on small and medium firms,” said Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi, assistant professor at Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation, Thiruvan● More on P4 anthapuram.